Student handbook

It is very important that you read and understand the UFV policy 70 on Student Academic Misconduct and policy 204 on Student Non-Academic Conduct.

Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, giving and receiving information during any test or exam; using unauthorized sources of information during any test; plagiarizing; fabrication, cheating, and, misrepresenting the work of another person as your own; facilitation of academic misconduct; and under certain conditions, non-attendance.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. You must reference your work and acknowledge sources with in-text citations and include a complete list of references. This comprises direct and indirect quotes, diagrams, charts, figures, pictures, and written material.

For group projects, the responsibility for academic integrity, which can result in academic misconduct and its resulting penalties, rests with each person in the group and sanctions would be borne by each member.

Assignments are valuable learning activities and can range from simple one page documents to lengthy term projects. Every assignment submitted must be free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.  Ask your instructor how he/she wants assignments submitted (e.g. on paper, in email, in Blackboard) before submitting. If you are submitting your assignment via email, ensure you are sending it in a readily accessible file format. Stick to MS Office (MS Word, MS Powerpoint, etc.), and/or ask the instructor what formats are acceptable.

It is very important that you attend the first class of every course. If you are not in attendance on the first day of class without prior notification to the instructor, your seat in the class will be made available to someone on the waitlist. The information you will receive in the first class is vital for your success in the course as it represents 10% of the course content, and the instructor uses this class to outline their expectations for the course.

Please ensure you arrive on time for class (allowing time to find parking and walk to class). If you are late, there is no guarantee that you will be able to enter the class and/or receive full participation marks for that session.

When students are disruptive, they impact their learning and the learning of others. If you feel that another student is repeatedly being disruptive, and is affecting your ability to listen or understand course material, then you should speak with the instructor after class. Based on the circumstances, faculty will determine an appropriate course of action and may refer the case to Student Services if warranted.

In turn, you have the right to expect that faculty too will conduct themselves professionally when dealing with issues and problems that may arise in class. Students and faculty must adhere to UFV harassment policies.

Students that have been assessed by the Centre for Accessibility Services may require extra allowances for taking exams, taking notes, or completing assignments. The Centre for Accessibility Services will notify the instructor of such requirements, but it is up to the individual student to schedule exam times outside of the classroom with their instructor well in advance. Students who have not made arrangements ahead of time for alternate exam times and due dates may not be given extra allowances. If you think you may need to be assessed or supported, please make an appointment through the Centre for Accessibility Services.

Before emailing your instructor, ensure you have read the syllabus and any other handouts which may already answer your question. Ensure you send your email from your myUFV email account. Your instructor might not open or even see an email sent from an alternative email account. The subject line of every email should include your course number as well as a brief explanation of the nature of the e-mail (like "BUS 100 Question about Assignment"). Include your full name and student number at the end of every email.

Clear and concise emails are best. Your instructor might get 25 or 30 E-mails a day, so it’s best if you ask your questions in a focused and succinct way. (Hint: if your question takes more than a few sentences or if you expect more than a one sentence answer, it's best to go to an in-person office hour. You'll get better service that way).

All communications between students and faculty are expected to be conducted tactfully, professionally, and respectfully. Taking an extra minute or two to make sure that your emails have proper punctuation, capitalization, etc will ensure that you are representing yourself well.
Instructors are not obligated to respond to rude, harassing, or improper emails, and such emails may be forwarded to Student Services if the instructor feels it is appropriate. You should allow 1-2 workdays for a response to emails. We do not require that our instructors answer any emails during the weekend.

Midterm exams will normally be scheduled by the instructor during normal class time. Midterm exam dates will be indicated in the course syllabus. Final exam dates are scheduled by UFV Administration. These dates will be published usually 6-8 weeks prior to the scheduled exam period.

Final exams may be scheduled on Saturdays and are likely at a different date and time than your normal class time. Students must be available to write an exam any time during the scheduled exam period including Saturdays.

No electronic dictionaries, cell phones, computers or other electronic devices will be allowed in exams/tests/quizzes unless specially approved by the instructor in advance. Only approved calculators may be used in course tests requiring such an instrument. No other materials are permitted to be used or accessed during the exam apart from a pen/pencil unless specifically approved by the instructor.

Every instructor will provide a course syllabus outlining the requirements of the course. This syllabus is the contract between you and the instructor. It will define the required textbook, the schedule of classes, grading scale, etc. This document will define your responsibilities including assignment due dates, assigned reading, exam dates, etc. The syllabus will also include information on how and when to contact your instructor. You should bring the syllabus to every class.

Most instructors strive to provide as much feedback as time allows. The purpose of instructor comments is to expand upon the grade awarded and to provide suggestions as to what can be improved upon for the next assignments. If you do not understand why an assignment is awarded a particular mark, please read through all the comments prior to meeting with the instructor for further explanation. If you want additional feedback on your assignment(s), you should discuss the matter with your instructor.

If it appears as though you will need to submit an item past the time it is due, you must speak with the course instructor at the earliest possible date prior to the due date. It is then up to the instructor to consider possible remedies and/or consequences. Potential penalties and rules will be laid out in a course syllabus. See “Make-up Exams and Assignments”.

Exam dates are fixed and non-negotiable. If you miss a test or exam, you will receive a mark of “0”. Emergency situations preventing you from completing a test/exam will require substantiation and will be considered on an individual basis by the instructor. Valid reasons why you may need to reschedule an exam or other assignment include: a death in the immediate family, illness (with a doctor’s note), or conflict with other university-sponsored scholastic or athletic activities (with prior approval from the instructor).

Students who have scheduling conflicts with other mandatory university activities must see their instructor no later than the first week of class.

Make-up exams are typically administered outside of regular class time, and thus it is up to the instructor to schedule exams in consultation with the student. Instructors will not issue a make-up exam for any of the following reasons:

• the student requesting a make-up does not provide a valid reason;
• the student requests a make-up only after the exam has been administered (making exception again for only the most extreme circumstances); this includes students who are sick but phone in or email after the exam has begun;
• the student fails to discuss rescheduling an exam due to a university event well in advance of the event;
• the student does not provide a doctor’s note if claiming illness as a reason to not complete the exam;
• the student has already begun taking the exam.

Each instructor offers at least one hour of office time for each course during teaching weeks. This specific office hour(s) for your course will be listed in the course syllabus. Office hour time is fully dedicated to dealing with student questions, concerns, advice, etc. This is valuable one-on-one time with your instructor which can help you with your individual needs outside of class time.

Participating in discussions, applying what you have learned in exercises and case studies, and hearing real world examples from experienced faculty will help you gain a fuller understanding of the course content and ensure you get the most out of your time at UFV. Reading the text will not be enough – each class represents about 10% of the content of the course.

Most instructors have grades of 10% or more associated with participation. The class participation mark is obtained on the basis of contribution to class activities and discussions.  You may lose part or all of this mark for not attending class or by not participating in discussions or other class activities.  If there is a valid reason that you are unable to attend or participate in class activities, please ensure you discuss this immediately with your instructor. Any situations or circumstances preventing a student from full attendance or participation in class activities will require substantiation and will be considered on an individual basis by the instructor.

Developing your time management skills is one of the crucial benefits of post-secondary education. Each instructor will give you a syllabus which outlines activities, due dates, exam dates, etc. It will be up to you to plan your study/work time for each class in advance using the dates provided in the syllabus. Planning ahead will help ensure that you have the time to do a good job and be successful in your courses.

In order to fully benefit from the course and the expertise of the instructor, it is essential that you are prepared for each class in advance. This prior knowledge will help you to participate in meaningful classroom discussions and activities. Instructors will assume that you have completed all assigned reading and exercises prior to class. Note: for every 1 hour of classroom time, you are expected to complete 2-3 hours of coursework (i.e. reading, assignments, and team project work). This means for each 3 hour class you are expected to complete 6-9 hours of coursework.

The Student Support Centre connects students to the supports and resources that may help them increase their chance of success. Such assistance may include putting students in touch with an academic advisor, financial aid, a counsellor or another resource. If your instructor is concerned about your progress, they may refer you to the Student Support Centre. The referral is treated confidentially and is sent because your instructor cares about your progress and success in your course. Your response to the Student Support Centre is entirely voluntary. If you do not wish your instructor to make a referral to the Student Support Centre on your behalf, please let them know by email.

Please note: The Third-time registration policy has been superseded by the Course Repeat Petition.

UFV students are now permitted to enrol in a course up to three times, after which, students may petition to repeat the course for a fourth and final time.

Permission to enrol a fourth time will only be granted if serious mitigating factors impeded a student's ability to succeed during at least one of the first three attempts.

Permission is now at the sole discretion of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Office (SSRO). For more details and to apply, please visit the SSRO website.

Students have the right to anticipate that assignments submitted for evaluation are returned to them in a timely fashion. There is no set amount of time for assignments to be returned. The size, type, and number of assignments to be marked influences the speed with which faculty can return assignments. Generally, shorter assignments should and will be made available to the student for pick up in two weeks or less. Longer assignments, such as term projects, may take longer.

• Plagiarism: Use of the ideas, information, and written expressions presented by others within classwork and research that one presents as their own
• Copyright: Fair use (copying, reproduction) of third-party materials (e.g. books and journals, websites, etc.) for one's own use or for distribution
• Citation: Full attribution given to third-party materials used within one's own work
• Research Ethics: In addition to the three areas above, a student's "original" research (i.e. that which involves primary data collection and observation) is governed by the rules regarding ethical practice, including the requirement at times for external review of planned research practices prior to proceeding with a project.

All researchers are expected to engage in practices that:

• Respect the rights of individuals within communities in which the research is being conducted, regardless of the nature of the research. This includes the right to privacy, relevant property rights, and the right to have community concerns about the research process heard by the researchers themselves.
• Respect the ethical norms of the field of inquiry. All researchers are expected to utilize and present information honestly by not manipulating or deliberately misrepresenting the data collected or selectively presenting results to produce a particular desired outcome; and to adhere to the expectations of accuracy, transparency, and peer review.
• Respect the needs of research collaborators. Collaborators on research projects may include students, faculty members, or community members. Expectations regarding individual roles and responsibilities within a project should be spelled out ahead of time, and respected throughout the process. Researchers must not misrepresent or underrepresent the role of collaborators in research processes. 

When engaging in primary research involving human subjects (i.e. research involving the collection of primary or original data, such as observations and materials), researchers are subject to additional requirements for review.

Note: Some classes may already have undergone ethics reviews and received approval to proceed with the research process. Your instructor will make this known beforehand if this is the case. When class ethics approval is given, it is specific to a narrow scope of research methodologies. Students completing projects that do not adhere to the class-based research plan may still be subject to individual research review. 

The types of research that requires additional review includes most forms of participant observation, as well as any interviews, surveys, focus groups, participatory research, etc. The purpose of this type of review is to ensure that all steps that can be taken to reduce risk (both physical and mental) to subjects and researchers that may result from the research process are taken.

The research ethics approval process requires student researchers to clearly articulate the objectives and methodologies of their research ahead of time. The process of identifying these steps can be incredibly valuable in helping a student organize their project efficiently. Though it is important to note that a research project may not be able to proceed prior to ethical review and approval.

Student researchers will need to familiarize themselves with Human Research Ethics, as well as the processes of review. More information on these and other resources can be found from the UFV Research Ethics office.

• Timeline: Students applying for a research review will need to budget a minimum of two weeks for review (though three weeks is encouraged). Often, the initial application for review will require some revision prior to approval, and this two-week or more window allows time for this revision.
• Forms: Forms can be found on the UFV Research Ethics site. Talk with your faculty supervisor for assistance in completing the forms.
• Faculty Pre-Review: Once a student application for ethical review is completed, submit this to your faculty advisor or instructor for final review, and then submit it to the Chair of the Departmental Research Ethics Committee (DREC).

Research involving children automatically requires review by the full institutional Human Research Ethics Board (HREB). Allow 3-4 weeks for review and approval.